Coverage of Qualifying for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway is scheduled for Friday, March 23, 2012 at 7:10pm/et.
TV: SPEED - 7:00pm/et
Scheduled qualifying re-air: on SPEED at 10:30pm/et

March 2011 Pole Sitter: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 184.653, finished 10th

Fastest First Practice Speed: #15-Bowyer, 185.109mph, scheduled to qualify 46th out of 46 drivers

NOTE: have stopped doing semi-live qualifying. NASCAR.com and FoxSports have live realtime qualifying and hits for my qualifying pages were way down in 2011 to the availabilty of the real-time qualifying found elsewhere.
Will still post Jayski.com's unique qualifying results here, to help explain how drivers made the race.
For Realtime qualifying, check out:
NASCAR.com and FoxSports

Friday practice for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway is over. After scheduled minutes, the top five fastest, slowest, notes:
#15-Bowyer 185.109
#55-Martin 184.322
#5-Kahne 183.946
#2-Keselowski 183.290
#11-Hamlin 183.187
slowest: #7-Gordon & #37-Hill
This practice sets qualifying order, scheduled for 7:10pm/et on SPEED. #37-Hill goes out first and #15-Bowyer goes our 46th/last.
See fastest speeds. laps run and more on the Auto Club Practice 1 Speeds (pdf), no average speeds am NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf's.(3-23-2012)

Go-or-Go Homers practice for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway.
the practice rank for the go-or-go homers (drivers not in the top 35 of 2011 owners points)
These drivers would make the race if things stay the same:
#30-David Stremme, 28th fastest overall
#26-Josh Wise#, 31st
#49-J.J. Yeley, 32nd
#98-Michael McDowell, 35th
#36-Dave Blaney, 39th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 40th
#23-Scott Riggs, 41st
#74-Reed Sorenson, 42nd
These drivers would miss the race if things stay the same:
#19-Mike Bliss, 44th
#7-Robby Gordon, 45th
#37-Timmy Hill#, 46th/last
(3-23-2012)

Hamlin wins pole at Auto Club: #11-Denny Hamlin won the pole for the Auto Club 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway with a speed of 186.403mph for his 1st pole of 2012 which put him in the 2013 Shootout, 10th career pole, and 2nd pole at Auto Club Speedway. Hamlin is the fifth different pole sitter in the first five races of the season.
#18-Busch was 2nd fastest followed by #55-Martin, #5-Kahne, #16-Biffle, #39-Newman, #29-Harvick, #20-Logano, #14-Stewart and #48-Johnson.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #30-Stremme, #26-Wise, #98-McDowell, #36-Blaney, #23-Riggs, #49-Yeley, #19-Bliss and #74-Sorenson.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #7-Gordon, #87-Nemechek & #37-Hill.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf). (3-23-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Auto Club Speedway:
#11-Denny Hamlin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 16th Annual Auto Club 400 with a lap of 38.626 seconds, 186.403 mph.
This is his 10th pole in 228 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and first top-10 start in 2012. He qualifies for next year's Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
This is his second pole in 12 races at Auto Club Speedway. Hamlin's previous Sprint Cup pole here came on Oct. 11, 2009.
#18-Kyle Busch (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2012 and his eighth in 15 races at Auto Club Speedway.
#55-Mark Martin (third) posted his 11th top-10 start at Auto Club Speedway. It is his second in four races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (30th) was the fastest qualifying rookie. (NASCAR Statistics)(3-23-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#37-Hill, 1st out to qualify, 177.936mph, DNQ
#7-Gordon, 2nd out, 178.470, DNQ
#19-Bliss, 3rd out, 178.296, starts 39th
#23-Riggs, 6th out, 180.356, starts 35th
#36-Blaney, 8th out, 180.433, starts 34th
#98-McDowell, 12th out, 180.610, starts 32nd
#83-Cassill, 14th out, 180.850, starts 31st
#26-Bliss, 16th out, 181.087, starts 30th
#47-Labonte, 18th out, 182.445, starts 26th
#30-Stremme, 19th out, 183.397, starts 20th
#20-Logano, 23rd out, 185.195, starts 8th
#29-Harvick, 32nd out, 185.199, starts 7th
#18-Busch, 35th out, 185.534, starts 2nd
#11-Hamlin, 42nd out, 186.403, starts 1st

How did the non Top-35 teams do in qualifying?
Fastest 7 get in, 8th [43rd] spot goes to most recent past champ not in the race already or 8th fastest
[45 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#30-David Stremme, 183.397
#26-Josh Wise#, 181.087
#98-Michael McDowell, 180.610
#49-J.J. Yeley, 180.298
#36-Dave Blaney, 180.443
#23-Scott Riggs, 180.356
#19-Mike Bliss, 179.296
#74-Stacy Compton, 179.131
will miss the race:
#7-Robby Gordon, 178.470
#87-Joe Nemechek, 178.443
#37-Timmy Hill#, 177.936

Race info at: Race Info Page

Event Entry List

Past Champions Provisional page

All Time Sprint Cup Pole Winners

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.

If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

Past Champions Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: A past champion's provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. A team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. This is only for a team/driver OUTSIDE the top-35 in owners points, drivers whose team is in the top-35 in owners points, would already be guaranteed in the field and not need the Past Champions Provisional
See my Past Champions Provisional Page for more.

What happens if all qualifying gets cancelled [rain/weather/other]?
If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

If qualifying AND all practices are cancled, then:
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts

If qualifying is cancled by at least one practice gets run, then:
If it is the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
AFTER the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with current Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - NASCAR will hold a draw for teams with no owners points / attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

NOTE: all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.